8 Comments
Dec 22, 2022Liked by Erin Reed

Figured it out. I just left a very kind voice message for State Senator John Kavanaugh’s office, who introduced this legislation.

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Dec 22, 2022Liked by Erin Reed

Erin, I am a former Arizona kid myself. Thankfully now out of there. Do you have any suggestions on who we might contact to make our thoughts known about this?

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This is just conservatives wanting to legislate their right to be ugly to others, to say whatever they want directly to or about people they don't like, no matter how harmful or offensive. Their patent ridiculousness and hypocrisy in trying to force others to join them in their ugliness should be laughable... but it isn't.

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Conservative hypocrisy on free speech in full display here.

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founding

It’s tragic how hard these folks attempt to legislate discrimination, when there are so many unmet needs that actually do need to be addressed. And, it’s even more tragic that other Republicans stand by in silence - and by doing so, enable truly horrifying actions of their peers.

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I thought they said pronouns didn’t exist… (wtf the hypocrisy is so unreal)

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There are so many things you could argue for under the intentionally vague concept of religious freedom, but the only freedom these people ever want to protect is the right to harass and discriminate towards LGBTQ people. You can be as shitty as you want to any person that you want- as long as you are Christian and claim that your invisible Sky man commands it.

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Just to build on your comments regarding “pronouns as free speech”:

In 2016, when Canada’s parliament was in the process of recognizing trans people’s rights in law, that basic model of argument is what got Jordan Peterson launched into the public eye. He claimed (incorrectly) that recognizing trans rights was somehow going to create “compelled speech”. Ever since then he’s been a darling of the far right.

In other words, we need to pay attention to what is going on in both Canada and the US on these matters, because the campaigns on social matters are far too often highly coordinated across the border. To a lesser degree, there is coordination with groups in the UK and EU, but the Canada - US linkages are strong and run deep. The “bathroom predator” meme started in Florida 20 years ago, and became central to justifying anti-transgender laws in both Canada and the US.

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